May 2023

ACC St. Louis Members Learn About

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Saint Louis Art Museum

On March 31, members of the ACC STL had a unique learning experience at the Saint Louis Art Museum. They participated in the “Artful Observation with a Diversity Lens” program, which aimed to help participants develop their awareness of issues related to attentiveness, empathy, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Artful Observation is a project spearheaded by the Saint Louis University (SLU) Art History Program to establish curricular and research programs based on evidence-based methods about utilizing the visual arts to help students and professionals develop their awareness of issues related to attentiveness, empathy, diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Read more...

(L-R): ACC St. Louis members in the presentation / Dr. Cathleen Fleck explaining the use of Artful Observation techniques to event attendees)

 Enforcement Is Coming –

Are Your Privacy Policy and Cookies Solution Ready?

By: (L-R/T-B) - Amy de La Lama, Partner and Chair-Global Date Privacy and Security, Christian Auty, Partner and Lead-US Date Privacy and Security, Goli Mahdavi, Counsel, Data Privacy and Security; Andrea Rastelli, Associate, Data Privacy and Security

On January 1, 2023, the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, which amended the existing California Consumer Privacy Act (collectively, the "CPRA") and Virginia's Consumer Data Protection Act ("VCDPA"), went into effect. Regulatory enforcement for the VCDPA began on January 1, 2023 and enforcement for the CPRA will begin July 1, 2023. In addition, the first round of CPRA regulations was finalized and effective on March 30, 2023. Privacy laws in Colorado, Utah, and Connecticut will also come into effect over the course of this year, and new laws, such as that in Iowa, will need to be considered.

New privacy laws often translate to new requirements for businesses. This is especially true for businesses that deploy targeted advertising or analytics tools to collect consumer information from websites and mobile apps. Given competing demands for internal resources, most companies are not in a position to engage in a full-scale compliance effort for each new or pending privacy law. Rather, most businesses will find that adopting a well-developed risk-based strategy is the more attainable and sustainable approach.

Read more...

Don't Miss the 2023 Corporate Counsel Institute (CCI)

Happening on Tuesday, May 9th at Chase Park Plaza!

Interested parties are reminded to REGISTER before the May 5th registration closing. Tuition Includes: 9 hours of Missouri CLE, Continental Breakfast, Lunch, Refreshments, Cocktail Reception, and Attendance Prizes. CLE includes (one hour of Ethics/Elimination of Bias in Missouri)

The CCI event will include sessions on:

• Dear Ethics Lawyer goes Corporate Part Two: Additional Stories of Dilemmas, Questions and Challenges for Corporate Counsel

• The Nine: The Supreme Court at the Dawn of a New Era

• State of the Unions: Developments with Organized Labor and the NLRB

• CCPA/CPRA/GDPRA The Intersection of HR and Data Privacy/Security

• The Thing About “The Thing About Pam”

• Contracting Best Practices: Indemnification, Force Majeure and other Remedies in a post-Covid World”

• The Antitrust Onslaught and Approaches by Which to Manage the Risk

• Changes to the NLRA, Government Efforts to Assist Union Organizing and How to Protect Your Company

• Corporate Client Privilege: Protecting and Preserving Client Confidences in the Corporate Setting

Getting to Know

ACC St. Louis Board Member,

Toni P. Douaihy

Title: Vice President, Assistant General Counsel

Company: Macy’s, Inc.

In current position for: 14 years

Law School: Washington University in St. Louis

Undergrad: University of Missouri - St. Louis

1. If I was not an attorney I would be: The owner of an eclectic shop selling small, beautiful - (or funny) - things for the home, and beautiful paper, pens and inks. Maybe in retirement, I’ll take the plunge.

2. My hobbies are: Reading, cooking and taking MOOCs of all kinds. Also, everyone who knows me knows that I take shopping to the level of “hobby” – I love fashion and design, old and new.

3. When I want to relax I: Head to the beach with a good book (when in Florida).   I head for the pilates studio, take a long walk or cuddle with my dog and a good TV series (when in St. Louis).

Read more...

Well-Being Week in Law

Well-Being Week in Law is nationally observed in the first full week of May to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month. Due to the vital role that lawyers often play in stressful political and social issues, a task force was formed after the 2016 American Bar Association meeting to improve the legal profession’s state of health. The very first national celebration was held in 2020 under the original name of Lawyer Well-Being Week with five days broken down into the following FOCUS SEGMENTS: Physical well-being and health; Spiritual well-being and quality of life; Intellectual/occupational well-being and the desire to learn and be intellectually challenged; Social well-being and connections to build capacity for resilience and perseverance; and Emotional well-being to recognize the relevance of feelings and the ability to express them. 

Suggested ways in which to observe Well-Being Week in Law include:

• Attending wellness panels that expose lawyers to stress-relieving and attention-boosting breathing exercises.
• Planning a fun activity with friends and colleagues to promote relaxation and well-being.
• Planning a technology blackout where, for one day, people are asked not to email, text, or call colleagues outside of designated hours unless it’s an emergency situation.
• Choosing a well-being related TED Talk and prepare discussion questions for a group watch and discussion session.

No-cost, virtual CLE classes such as https://mobarcle.mobar.org/item/2023-wellbeing-holistic-approach-562005 are also offered through The Missouri BAR Association.

PFAS: Product Liability's New Frontier

By: Jackson Otto, Partner, Husch Blackwell

Since the first lawsuit was filed in 1999, plaintiff’s attorneys have brought thousands of environmental and personal injury cases involving per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, colloquially referred to as “forever chemicals.” While this was once a niche practice area involving claims against a small group of chemical manufacturers, PFAS litigation has exploded to encompass manufacturers, distributors, and retailers across nearly every industry. Recent court and regulatory activity have pulled PFAS even further into the limelight, promising an exponential rise in both the quantity of these lawsuits and the number of companies they will be brought against.

Read more...

ACCSTL Members Volunteer at Veteran’s Estate Planning Clinic

March 23 was a day of giving back for the ACC STL members, who eagerly volunteered their legal experience at the Veteran’s Estate Planning Clinic. With a mission to provide free legal counsel to veterans and their spouses, the team prepared simple wills, powers of attorney, living wills, and health care directives, all with the aim of ensuring that our nation’s heroes receive the support they deserve. 

The event was a resounding success, thanks to the dedication and compassion of the 15 ACC STL members, who went above and beyond to help underserved communities and families in the St. Louis area. Their selflessness and commitment to pro bono work was praised by Patricia Duft, Sr. Director, Legal, Medtronic, Inc., and 2023 ACC STL Pro Bono Committee Chairperson.

Read more... 

(Below: ACC St. Louis members volunteer by providing free legal counsel at the Veteran's Estate Planning Clinic.)